The VIII International Research-to-Practice Conference will be held this year at Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Astana, Astana, Kazakhstan on 27-28 October 2016.

The theme of this year's conference, 'Taking Change to Scale in Education: Piloting and Dissemination' focuses on the efforts of various initiatives to pilot, evaluate and disseminate educational reform. Central to these reform initiatives is the role of the teacher and the increased focus on teacher professionalism and collaborative learning communities. The contemporary teacher is expected to engage with educational research, to participate in action research and lesson study, and "to adapt, innovate and respond to local needs" (Palmisano, 9780814149942) A focus on communication and a collaborative culture will ensure that all participants in an educational community will share an understanding of the common vision, values and goals that the community seeks to advance.

The deadline for papers is 23.00 (UTC) on 30 September 2016, and deadline for registration is 23.00 (UTC) on 15 October 2016. Decisions on acceptance will be made within 10 working days. The organisers are accepting proposals for presentations, posters, symposia and panel discussions. Presentations should last 20 minutes. Symposia and panel discussions will last 90 minutes, with time for questions and answers. Abstracts should be between 400 and 600 words in length, and may include information on research aims, methodology, research methods, research design and findings. Successful submissions will be relevant to the primary and secondary education, demonstrate academic rigour, and be substantial original research.

In order to submit a proposal to present at the conference, please visit our website, http://conferences.nis.edu.kz. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Karlygash on conference@nis.edu.kz.